SEA-WATCH 5

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NGO ship stuck in Palermo with 47 migrants on board

The 'Sea Watch 5', with 49 migrants on board, whchi were rescued near Malta on Nov 22, had been assigned the port of Ravenna but had to stop on Nov 25 at the port of Palermo due to health issues of some of the migrants on board. The Court for Minors in Palermo called for the disembarking of the minors on board. On the afternoon, six minors, five of whom were unaccompanied, were disembarked by order of the Juvenile Court of Palermo. The other migrants remained on board. Non-governmental organizations, in particular Sea Watch, have launched a sincere appeal, calling the partial landing "inhuman and discriminatory." The NGO called for all migrants on board to be immediately brought ashore, pointing out the difficulties and insecurities faced by migrants in these conditions. The living conditions on board the 'Sea Watch 5' have become a subject of public discussion. Migrants, already exhausted by the long journey, fpimd themselves in a stalemate with limited access to medical care and psychological support. The presence of unaccompanied minors on board is a further cause for concern, as these vulnerable young people need adequate protection and assistance. NGOs are urging that the competent authorities intervene to ensure the well-being of all migrants.

'Sea Watch 5' docked in the port of Vinaròs after rescuing 834 people in recent months

On Sep 28 the 'Sea Watch 5' has docked in the port of Vinaròs after ten months in which it has rescued and brought 834 people to safe ports. The ship had set sail from Vinaròs on Nov 14, 2023 to undertake its first rescue operations. In this period, in addition to saving hundreds of lives, it has also been affected by strategies to hinder humanitarian action carried out by the Italian state. On March 9, an arbitrary administrative blockade was imposed against the 'Sea-Watch 5' and other ships, such as the 'Sea-Eye 4' and 'Humanity I'. After 20 days, the Courts of the Italian city of Ragusa declared the different blockades as illegal. Meanwhile, the German NGO reported that during its forced stop at least 145 people had drowned without any kind of help. The last rescueoperation was on Aug 31 in an operation in which 289 people were taken to a safe port. On Sep 4, just the day after the survivors disembarked, the Italian authorities imposed a new sailing ban on the 'Sea-Watch' 5 for another 20 days. After this the ship that set sail from Civitavecchia back to the port of Vinaròs where it plans to carry out repairs, maintenance and supplies. For several weeks, teams from the local entity have been working to prepare their arrival and provide them with all the necessary tools to carry out the actions they require, and activated a mobile operating base equipped to provide its support service in the best conditions. Report with photo: https://castellonplaza.com/barcohumanitarioseawatch5vuelvevinarostrassocorrer834personas

NGO ship detained for 20 days

The Italian authorities have detained the 'Sea-Watch 5' for 20 days on Sep 3, and fined up to €10,000, after having rescued 289 people on Aug 31 in four operations in international waters off Libya, after dropping them off in the port of Civitavecchia, almost 1,000 kilometres away from where the assistance request was made. Italy accused Sea-Watch of having rescued the asylum seekers at sea, without clearance from the Libyan authorities. After the Italian authorities assigned Civitavecchia as a safe port, a 17-year-old had to be medically evacuated by Maltese forces as his medical condition did not permit the long journey. The basis for the detention is the so-called Piantedosi Decree, introduced in January 2023, which deliberately attacks the work of civil rescue organisations in the Mediterranean. “The accusations made by the authorities are false: following the 1982 UNCLOS regulation, permission for the rescue is not required under international law. In addition, the state authorities in Italy, Malta and Germany were informed about the sea emergencies and rescues,” Sea-Watch 5 head of operations Chiara Milanese said. It had informed the coordination centre in Libya of the rescue, even though it does not meet necessary international standards.